Kansas downed by Oklahoma on Senior Day

Originally published May 23, 2010 at 5:25 p.m., updated May 23, 2010 at 5:25 p.m.

As it turned out, the previous two games in which the Jayhawks blew late game leads only offered a preview to Sunday's crushing defeat.

For the third straight day, Kansas’ (31-24-1, 11-15-1) bullpen imploded against No. 14 Oklahoma, this time relinquishing a three-run lead en route to a 9-6 setback on Senior Day at Hoglund Ballpark.

“There’s a point to where it just beats you down,” coach Ritch Price said. “I think it’s beat us up a little bit, as far as our energy level and the enthusiasm in our dugout.”

That frustration showed on the faces of Jayhawks, who again blew a late lead in a game they were in control of for most of the way.

“It’s definitely disappointing, especially being up like that then falling short,” sophomore catcher Chris Manship said.

Coach Price noted that the rash of close defeats have dampened the mood on the team.

“We don’t have the same swagger we had five weeks ago, and you can feel it,” coach Price said. “It’s not anybody being down or anything, but I think when you get left on the field five or six times, it’s hard to fight though that on a week by week basis.”

As in the previous two contests, Kansas built an early lead and held on with strong starting pitching.

Junior third baseman Tony Thompson and junior left fielder Jimmy Waters each slapped RBI singles in the third, the Jayhawks added three more runs in the fifth to jump ahead 5-2.

Freshman Tanner Poppe improved as the game went on, and cruised into the seventh inning having allowed only the two runs on four hits.

But Poppe hit the first two batters in the inning, getting him pulled in lieu of fellow freshman Thomas Taylor, who was first to succumb to the Sooners attack.

After recording a quick out, Taylor allowed three straight hits, capped off by a three-run blast off of the right field foul pole, which gave Oklahoma the lead at 6-5.

Kansas tied the lead on an RBI single by senior first baseman Brett Lisher, but senior Travis Blankenship couldn't hold off Oklahoma.

Blankenship worked a quick and easy eighth, but got into trouble in the ninth, putting two runners on for Sooner catcher Tyler Ogle.

Ogle, who belted the go-ahead three-run double in Saturday’s contest, smashed a three-run home run to put Oklahoma ahead for good 9-6.

“They just came up with big hits when they needed them, and we had a couple of opportunities we didn’t capitalize on,” Lisher said.

Coach Price was equally complementary of the No. 14 Sooners, but acknowledged his bullpen has struggled mightily.

“Obviously we’ve hit the wall pitching wise,” he said.

The Jayhawks will get a shot at redemption almost immediately.

Kansas, locked in as the seventh seed in the Big 12 Tournament, will face two seed Oklahoma again on Wednesday as the tournament begins in Oklahoma City.

To do that, the Jayhawks acknowledged the need to forget about this latest disappointment and move on.

“We’ve got to let this go,” Lisher said. “The minute it’s over, it’s over.”

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